Asleep Among Us
by Artemis Whiskers
Summary: This fiction will pair: Ami/Ryo, Rei/Yuuichiro, Makoto/Shinozaki, and Minako/Motoki. These men were their protectors in their past life. Now the Sailor Senshi must awaken their past lovers' sleeping memories and fight the monsters who guard their consciences.
1. Prologue

I always find it so very disappointing that there is such a lack of Sailor Scout romances out there that aren't pairing the Senshi with the Dark Kingdom generals or the Sailor Stars. I'm afraid I've never cared for these pairings, though no offense to anyone who does! That's the lovely part of fan-fiction … you take your favorite pieces and make them your own. For me I've always loved expanding on those hinted at romances from the old TV series. So, that being said, this fiction will pair: Ami/Ryo, Rei/Yuuichiro, Makoto/Shinozaki, and Minako/Motoki. Ok – so that last one is pure author preference. Like I said, that's the fun part of fan fiction.

While I love some of the plot additions of the old series, I'll be basing the characters themselves more on the manga/new Crystal series. They are just less over-the-top and, well, 1990's about everything. This takes place during the girls' first year at University. While a lot of great stuff happens in the later part of the Sailor Moon Series, I will pretty much be glossing over that and sticking to what we know from Sailor Moon R and S.

I would love feedback! OK… here we go….

_**Asleep Among Us**_

**Prologue:**

"It's time, Luna. You know it's time."

"Artemis, they are still so young. They have only begun at University. It would be such a distraction from their goals. Their futures."

"I am talking of their real futures. They will be the rulers of the next civilization. They are to guide humanity into the age of the new Moon Kingdom … that's just … it's just … that's _huge._ The people of this world will not survive without this transition. Sure, they need to take their skills and their passions with them into this future. But what they need more than culinary or medical school is to have their protectors by their sides. It's _time_."

"So young. So much ahead of them." Luna shook her head.

"Usagi has the youngest spirit of them all, and her love for Mamoru over these past few years has given her immense strength. We torture our girls by holding back this last piece of their memories. I can't do this to them any longer. They are grown women, Luna. They deserve to know the complete story of their past lives."

"You are right." Luna squeezed her eyes tight, blocking out the lovely view of the sun setting over Tokyo. The city stretched into infinity before them as they lay side by side on this rooftop. "I have never hated admitting it more than now."

"Why Luna? Why do you hate this so much?" Artemis reached his white paw over and nudged her dark one.

" You know, I think it is a motherly instinct of sorts. I feel guilty. I always have. We stole their childhood years ago when we first came into their lives. Things have been quiet for a few months now. I just wanted them to live their small lives with their small, normal dreams for without having to remind them of their unfathomably large destinies that lie both ahead of them, and so long ago behind them."

Artemis sighed. It was not a burdened sigh. In fact he looked quite content.

"But Luna," he said, "This is the very best part of that destiny. This is the part that makes it all worthwhile for them."

This made Luna smile, as much as a cat ever does smile. "You are right." Then she reconsidered. "But to awaken the Sun Guardians is to awaken the evil that is attached to them."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: Usagi Dreams**

Fog. There was always fog in her dreams – at least when the dreams meant something. Usagi once dreamed of eating four entire pizzas. There was no fog involved in that dream, though it was glorious.

But her dreams harking to the past, or the future, they were always foggy. And she had learned to pay attention to these dreams. Tonight she walked through a long corridor. It felt so familiar. She must be in her home castle on the moon. Her delicate heels clicked along the stone. The air was damp and cold. She shivered and wished for more light. She could not see more than a foot in front of her face, so she slid her white glove along the wall to steady her senses. Water dripped in the distance, plopping like a metronome keeping time with her steps. She was deep in the bowels of the castle. This was the dungeon, Usagi suddenly remembered. She remembered who she was here to see, and she suddenly hated this memory.

Part of her struggled to pull out and wake up. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to see the tattered man in the cage. He was just a few more steps away, she knew. But the greater part of her forced herself to stay. She must remember what he said to her. This was important, though she could not think why.

The bars of the cage appeared before her. Inside was a man squatting on the floor. He was dirty and shaking and breathing heavy like a wild animal.

"I greet you in peace, Mercurial Sun General," Usagi heard her dream-self say.

"Princess. You should not be here. The beast still lives inside me. I cannot control it."

"I am safe on this side of your prison, General. These walls have been enchanted with the strongest of my mother's powers."

Usagi couldn't see his face through the shadows and the fog, but she could see his slim body wearing tattered clothes and the remnants of smudged armor. The man panted and clutched his chest. He was trying to keep the beast in its own prison. He gulped a few times before he could eventually say, "Please. My Princess Mercury? My love? Is she…"

Usagi felt the burden heavy now. Her former self struggled to get the words out.

"The Princess of Mercury is dead. The damage from your attack …" she stopped herself. "From the attack of the monster inside you, was fatal. She passed this morning. I am very sorry, my friend." She gulped down tears. Ami had been his love, but she had also been the Moon Princess's great friend.

But the General had stopped listening. The shaking of his body increased. He trembled wildly, moaning and holding his head. "I killed her," he said into his own knees as he rocked back and forth. "I killed my Ami." He screamed in rage, clutching his chest.

"It was not you! You must listen to me! It was the beast that Beryl put inside you! You must not blame yourself."

His screaming became more agonized. His body began to fade into a darkness. The Moon Princess knew that the monster inside him was winning once again. She stepped back from the cell. Despite her brave words, this beast scared her and she had some doubt whether her mother's cage could hold it.

As she turned on her heel and ran back down the corridor. She wondered if she did the right thing. The war raged above their heads, outside of the castle. The odds were that they would all join the Princess Mercury this night. She could have told him that Ami had survived and forgiven him. She could have let him die in peace. Why did she need to torture the poor man? She faintly hoped that it was for some deep down purpose of good that even she didn't understand. But she feared that it was out of her own rage and suffering for her friend that she inflicted this pain upon Ami's murderer.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi bolted upright in her bed. Her room was black except for a shining upward-facing crescent moon and two large cat eyes glowing through the darkness. Usagi's eyes adjusted as she shook her head to clear out the last of the fog.

"Luna, what's going on?" Usagi was breathing heavy as if she had actually been running down that dungeon hallway to get away from the monster who was her old friend.

"You have dreamed of the past, Usagi-chan."

"Yes. How did you know?" Luna walked up Usagi's covered legs and sat in her lap.

"I know because I activated the sun crystal tonight."

"Sun crystal? Oh no. How many freaking crystals are there?" Usagi felt a good whine coming on. But before she could get it out, there the thing was, in her lap in front of Luna as if it had always been there. A shining yellow crystal glimmered in the small light of the moon through Usagi's blowing curtains.

"I am afraid I have awoken trouble, Usagi-chan. But I did so knowingly. I hope you'll forgive me. I know how much you are enjoying this well-earned peace."

"Luna, what have you done?" Tears pricked at Usagi's eyes. No more trouble. Not now. They were all starting such lovely new lives at University. They were all finally following their dreams. Their dreams of _this_ life. She was happy. She was in love with her Mamo-chan. She was enjoying her friends. No more…

"But if we make it through this trouble, it will be well worth it for your sailor scouts. You must do this out of love for them."

This halted her tears.

"What do you mean?"

"You were not the only princess in love in the Moon Kingdom, Usagi-chan. All five of you had your destined lovers. And you were all very happy. But Beryl hated this happiness. She was so very jealous. So she chained them to monsters – foul beasts who would go to any length to keep them from our girls."

Usagi stared at the crystal and thought on her dream. "Luna, the Mercurial Sun General, who is he? I dreamed of him."

"In this life, I don't know Usagi-chan. They were all Guardians of the Sun – Generals dedicated to protecting King Endymion, you, and most especially their assigned princesses. But just as when I found you girls, I have some memories and strong feeling towards certain people, but I cannot actually envision the Sun Generals in my mind. They are a blur to me. This crystal may help to find them, but primarily it must specifically be used to vanquish the demons that guard them. It is the only this that will destroy them for good. We must defeat their dark guardians and free the men. We have an obligation, Usagi-chan."

With a sinking feeling in her heart, Usagi knew that she couldn't turn her back on this. Her friends fought for her love. How could she not do the same for them?

"Tomorrow, Luna. Let me sleep now."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: It has to be you **

"This is too much." Rei held her head; whether she was trying to see into this this mystery using her spiritual powers, or if this was all just really too much for her, Ami did not know. Her own head pounded with this news.

"This is fantastic! This is literally the best thing I've ever heard. Girls, how are you not more excited for this?" Obviously Minako could barely contain herself. The senshi of love had always been lost without romance in her life. Of course she was excited. She craved love like Sailor Mercury would crave books if they were kept from her.

But for Ami this did not coincide with her plans. Ami hated it when things derailed her intricate plans.

"Hold on. Just … just back up here," Makoto held up a hand. Ami was grateful for her bold friend in this moment. Mako-chan had gained a profound amount of maturity over the last few years, making great strides from that quick-tempered brutish girl they had first met as young teenagers. Now she was bold and confident and often speaking the concerns Ami herself could not find the words to voice.

"We are supposed awaken happily sleeping monsters so that we can risk our lives to find boyfriends that we don't even remember? Then we are forced to be with them whether we decide if they fit into our current lives or not. That's going a little far for a date if you ask me. And I've done some pretty extreme and stupid things for a date." She crossed her arms and leaned against the cement wall lining the Hino temple.

They gathered here at the Rei's home, sprawling on the grass and sitting on the wall. They were group of six, as after years of fighting to put things right, Mamoru was finally an intricate and trusted member of their ranks. So Luna and Artemis sat at the open head of their circle and told them all what had been done. Usagi laid the sun crystal in the grass for them to see. They leaned over and peered at the thing like it would jump up and bite someone in the foot – the question was just who it would bite first.

"It's worth it," Usagi said, uncharacteristically calm and quiet about it all. She leaned into Mamoru and closed her eyes, but continued. "I don't know what we will face, but you all fought for our love and we will yours. And you should too. You should trust your past selves, I think."

They were quiet for a moment. When Usagi is serious, everyone becomes serious. It is just such a rare thing to see that it must mean something.

In the stillness, a lovely whiff of food wafted towards them.

"Rei-chan!" A strong male voice called over. Yuuichiro waved a mitted hand from near the house door. "I made dumplings for your friends. Come eat!"

"Dumplings!" Usagi's eyes popped open. She couldn't have run faster if a youma was chasing her. The serious moment was broken.

"Oh Usagi-chan. Now?" Rei called after her. She waved her hand in the air, eventually dismissing Usagi, knowing she wouldn't be back until her stomach was full. That might be a while.

"So what now? Who's first? How do we use this thing?" Minako picked up the wand and examined it in her hand. "Will it start beeping or something if we are near one of them?"

Ami couldn't keep it bottled in any longer. "Do we have a choice? Shouldn't we be able to make this decision for ourselves?" She looked angrily at Luna.

"Ami-chan?" Luna looked back, surprised.

"What if we don't want this? It feels like an arranged marriage. Do we have no freedom at all? Haven't we sacrificed enough? Now we must sacrifice the free will to love who we want to love? What if we decide … just … _not_ to find them? I'm sure whoever these people are, they are living perfectly happy lives without us dragging them into our mess."

Makoto stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "No, Ami-chan. You should not have to give up Ryo-kun."

Of course they knew what this uncharacteristic outburst was about. Finally Ami and Ryo were in the same city, attending the same University. They had waited for years. Ami had never considered another boy. She waited. She worked hard, and she waited. She did everything required of her as Sailor Mercury, and she waited. She waited knowing that someday they would be in the same city at the same time and something wonderful would happen.

Okay, so nothing had happened yet – but it was going to! She was sure of it. He was just shy. She loved his humble shyness. And she had needed that time between when they had met and now to learn to be a more open-hearted person. She had been so ready for his return to Tokyo.

"Ami-chan, if I may…" Mamoru spoke for the first time at this meeting. He pursed his lips as if considering his words. "I was not eager to jump into a romance I had no memory of either. I was confused. I did not know who I loved – the Moon Princess, or Sailor Moon, or just little Usagi who threw papers at my head and argued with me every day. I was conflicted and angry at my own mind for blocking the truth from me. I wanted my freedom, but I also wanted the happiness that I distantly felt as a remnant in my heart. I had to learn to trust Endymion because Mamoru did not yet understand. And I was rewarded with the greatest love for that."

"And what if I choose to trust myself now, Mamoru-san? What if I have something worth fighting for now?" Ami insisted.

Luna cleared her throat. "I was not aware that you and Ryo-kun were so close, Ami-chan."

Ami blushed. "We are not… nothing is official. But…"

"She shouldn't have to explain herself." Makoto charged in.

"Ami-chan!" Minako looked at her with wide eyes. "This isn't just a boyfriend we're talking about. This is your destined love!"

"I think," Rei began in a calm voice that summoned their attention. "I think we have an obligation to awaken them, if not love them."

"But if they don't want to be woken?" Makoto chimed in again. "What if they are happy and want to stay on living ignorant, contented lives? It could be downright cruel to confuse them with a past life, especially one that ended so traumatically."

"Precisely," Ami nodded.

Rei looked at them all, calm and so very confident and still. "They have a right to know the truth of themselves. Being Sailor Mars is both a blessing and burden. But that burden is never so great that I would deny who I am."

"And if it is taken badly, we may erase the memory. But that choice must be theirs," said Luna. She looked as if she did not particularly want to give out this piece of information.

"We can erase their memory? We can give them the option of knowing their true selves or living this one singular life?" Ami asked, chewing on this new piece of information.

Luna nodded.

"Then I suppose we do have an obligation to these men." Ami frowned as she said it.

Minako turned to Artemis. "You've been very quiet."

Artemis was laying in the sun, stretch out with his head propped on his paws and his eyes half-closed.

"I am confident," he said with a yawn. "I am confident that this will all work out. I was there, you know. I was there and witnessed your relationships. You will overcome these battles and you will love truly and without any hesitation. I have no doubts." He yawned again and put his head down, marking the end of his input.

Usagi stumbled back into their circle, happily still munching on dumpling. "So," she said through a mouthful of food. "Are you all ready to fall in love or what?"

Ami stared at Ryo across the library table. He had books stacked up to his head on either side of him. He bit his lip in that way he does when his mind hasn't completely wrapped around a difficult concept yet. It was still early in the first semester and they were the only two here on this high floor of the library. They always chose the business section, as it was typically the least populated.

Her stomach was in an uncomfortable ball. She rather wished she was in her Mercury uniform. It gave her courage. Plain little Ami's courage often failed her. But she had to be honest with him. She had to tell him that this thing that had never really started between them might be over.

"Ryo-kun," she quietly, though they were alone.

"Hai?" He looked and smiled. Her heart jumped. She wanted him. Just him. If she had only had the courage to tell him sooner.

"There has been activity. Scout activity."

He put down his pencil and his thick eyebrows furrowed. "You are not in danger I hope. Is it serious? Is there anything I can do? My predictions aren't as strong as they used to be, but I can still…"

"We are not in danger yet, but some risk will be inherent to our mission. We have been instructed… We have been told we must…" She sighed and started over.

"I told you of my previous life as Princess Mercury."

He nodded, urging her to go on.

"The other girls and I. Though we had our own fighting skills, we also had protectors. Generals of the Sun guardians who were our body guards, our counselors, and … and our lovers."

He didn't react other than to tightly grip the book he was holding. She saw his hand flinch and squeeze until his knuckles were white. He nodded again.

"They were all part of an elite league of soldiers that protected the Moon Kingdom as a whole. And they were our … well I guess they were our soul mates of a sort, if you want to use the cliché term." She was blushing now. She knew she was blushing. She just wanted to get through this. "These men were sent to earth, as we were. They are probably near. We've been instructed that we must wake them, though they are protected by beasts of Queen Beryl's making. We must fight the beasts to earn their freedom. They have a right to know of their past lives. They may also choose to dismiss the memory and go back the way they were before – Luna has the power to make them forget."

"Or you may choose to love each other again?" He asked. The silence following this question was thick and heavy.

"That is an option, I suppose. But it doesn't have to be that way."

Ryo smiled sadly and finally let go of his book. He reached over and took Ami's hand in his. "If this is your soul mate, who am I to stand in your way?"

"Please don't, Ryo-kun." She pulled away. "If you do not want me, let it be for your own sake not for this person we don't even know."

"If I don't want you?" With determination he reached and took her hand again. "I have wanted no one but you. I don't move quickly, I know." He looked down at the table with a blush. "But I just want to make sure that I have earned you."

Despite herself, a small giggle escaped. She squeezed his hand. "Ryo-kun, we will earn each other. We will keep striving to deserve each other and we will be very happy doing so, I think."

For a moment Ryo just looked at her and appreciated her words, smiling so softly. It had taken them so long to get here.

"But what of _him_?"

Her own smile drooped. "Does he have to matter?"

"You cannot just dismiss someone with that much importance in your history." He paused for a moment. "But, do you think … I mean is there any chance that it could be me?"

She looked up, hope filling her eyes. "What?"

"Well, I was a part of that past world, though in a very different capacity. And you said yourself that they are being guarded by beasts. I was a beast. I was a youma. In fact the thing still lives inside, Ami-chan. I can feel it."

"You can _feel_ it?" Her voice rose several octaves and she looked around to make sure they were still along. She lowered her voice again. "What does that mean? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"With Beryl gone and Mamoru-san in his right mind, I saw no danger in having the monster contained within me. I don't know what sort of effort it would take to extricate it. I didn't want to put you in unnecessary danger."

She frowned. "You put yourself in unnecessary danger. What if an enemy found this out about you and used you against us again? Especially with you and I being so close. They could do this just to play with our minds."

"We weren't so close until recently, my Ami-chan. Or at least we weren't in the same city." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles causing the most delightful flurry of butterflies in her stomach. No, she could not give him up. He had to be right. It had to be him. It's not that the thought hadn't crossed her mind from the beginning, but it had just seemed like too much to hope. But now that he suggested it too…

"Let's find out right now." She couldn't wait another moment. She needed the answer. "Usagi-chan has a wand. It may identify you. I don't quite know how it works yet. But, it must be you." She looked down at the table. She felt so very vulnerable. It was not her favorite feeling.

Ryo stood up and took her hand to help her from her chair. With a nervous tremble, he lifted the hand up and placed it to his lips. "I hope that it is, my Ami-chan."

They walked, hand in slightly-self-conscious-slightly-nervous-very-excited hand. She felt like she was 15 again, though that was not so very long ago. They strolled in the park, waiting for Usagi to come with her Sun Crystal wand. The wait was nerve-wracking. And yet, at the same time, Ami rather hoped Usagi would get distracted by the arcade or an ice cream shop and just never come. Then this moment could last longer. She wouldn't have to find out if Ryo was not her Sun guardian.

"We should come back when the cherry-blossoms are in bloom. This park is always so lovely then," Ami said to make conversation.

"It's a date," he said, almost breathless. "We will sit under the trees and pack a nice picnic. In fact, I think that's my new dream, now that the first two have been achieved."

"First two?" Ami asked. She remembered the first one – to have a date with her at the amusement park. They had gone there several times now, whenever Ryo came in town with his father.

"The second one was to walk hand in hand with you for all the world to see. Let them all see us together and think how lucky I am," he smiled cutely.

Ami giggled. "But Ryo-kun. No one is here."

Well that was true. The park was empty. They seemed to have a knack for avoiding people today.

"What are your dreams, Ami-chan?"

She cocked her head to the side. "You know my dreams. We have known each other for a long time. You know I want to be a doctor. You know I want a family. You know … you know _me_." She smiled and shrugged.

He stopped and was looking down at her, though he was not so much taller.

"I do know you. And I know the many layers of dreams within each one of your big dreams. I have to wonder, though, why have I not kissed you since I moved here?"

She jolted at his abrupt change of topic. "I – I don't know."

"I am a coward," he laughed and shook his head. They had shared sweet little kisses before on his visits. But they had always known that he would leave afterward. Now if he kissed her, it was the beginning of something.

"No. No, Ryo you are gentleman."

"Perhaps I am both. Even if I cannot keep you in the end, do you think that I could be a gentleman still if I kiss you now? I don't want to be a coward anymore."

Her heart stuck in her throat, all she could do was nod. He leaned in and there it was – the softest, sweetest kiss that surely anyone in the world has ever had. His hands wrapped around her waist and hers tugged him closer, closing around his shoulders. His lips were softy and silky. Everything about him was gentle and welcoming.

When they parted, Ami let her forehead rest on his chest. It has to be him. It has to be him.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi bounded up to them. She looked care-free in her bright yellow sweater and her pig tails blowing in the wind behind her as she ran. Ami often thought that this was how Usagi stayed so thin yet ate so much. She ran everywhere out of pure excitement. Yet if you told her to run for exercise she would collapse within a mile. At her heels was Luna, looking less than care-free.

"Okay, Ryo-kun. Are you ready to become Amy's knight in shining armor?" Usagi giggled and bounced in front of them.

"More than ready, Usagi-chan. But how can you be so confident?" A faint blush formed above Ryo's nose and Ami's heart pittered.

"Because you were in my dream, of course!" She looked at them as if they should have put two and two together by now. "Well, I mean I don't actually know it was you since I couldn't see your face at all, but how many guys have a monster put in them by Queen Beryl? I mean it _has_ to be you."

"Usagi-chan." Ami blinked a few times, trying to decide how to phrase this question. She finally decided on simply, "What are you talking about? What dream?"

"My dream. I told you about my dream. Didn't I?"

"Didn't you?" Luna looked up at Usagi accusingly.

"You didn't," Ami said. Her heart sped up. _What dream? What dream? Spit it out! What dream? Did you see him? Tell me! _

"Oh that's right. I was going to tell you, then I got distracted by dumplings. You should have had some. Rei is so lucky to have Yuuichiro around. He's such a good cook and..."

"Usagi! The dream!" Ami shoved down her annoyance. It wouldn't help anything.

"Right! Right, sorry Ami-chan. You don't have to yell at me."

Ami sighed. "My apologies, Usagi-chan. I am just … please just tell us of the dream."

Usagi got awkward all of a sudden. She wrung her hands in front of her and looked at the ground. "Well, you see, turns out your Sun General kind of sort of killed you. You were like the first to get … you know..." Usagi slid her forefinger across her own throat, getting the message across. "Your general, he had a monster inside him. Queen Beryl put it there – who the heck knows why. I mean who knows why she did any of this stuff other than the fact that she was a jealous, hideous old shrew. So she made Ryo,or whoever this guy is, into a monster and he killed you. But he felt just terrible about it. You should have seen him. He looked pathetic."

"Did you see him … me … him actually kill her?" Ryo looked horrified.

Usagi shook her head. "No. He was in the Moon Kingdom palace's prison. I talked to him there. I told him that Princess Mercury was dead. Then I ran out. That's all I saw. It was terrible."

"The monster in me, it would be capable of that. I can't control it once it has been let out. Oh, Ami-chan. You shouldn't mess with this. We should leave him be. What if history repeats itself? I could never forgive myself."

He looked so distraught, Amy's heart broke for him. She picked up his hand and squeezed it, catching his eyes and holding them to her own. "Then we'll never know," she said.

"Do we need to?" He asked, though she saw it in his face that he already knew the answer. "I mean, all the clues point to me. Can't we assume that it is me and forgo waking up the beast inside? Do we need our memories? I … Ami-chan, I love you _now_. In this life. Can't that be all that matters?"

Ami's heart swelled. He loved her. Not Princess Mercury. Not Sailor Mercury. He was just Ryo and he just loved Ami. And to her that was so very enough. But before she could tell him so, Luna pawed at her ankle.

"I'm afraid not, Ami-chan. I'm sorry. I truly am. You deserve this. You have done everything I have ever asked of you and more. You have sacrificed your life on more than one occasion. Yet I must ask more of you. We need to find out if the monster inside Ryo is truly blocking his memories. The more I research, the more I talk to Sailor Pluto who looks into our past and future for us, and the more I understand about this new situation we are in … the more I realize that the Sun Guardians are vital to this world's future. You need the Mercurial General by your side. Our actions all hang in such a tenuous balance to ensure the future of our world.

Ami took a deep breath and held it for a reflective moment. She stepped into Ryo and wrapped her arms around him, not caring that they had an audience. She said, "Then I suppose we must wake the beast inside you and destroy it. And we hold onto the hope that you are my missing general because need him or not, I do not see how I could love another."


End file.
